Former Chelsea Manager Jose Mourinho said that he has not signed a contract with anybody, but "expects to be back in football in time for the start of next season and would prefer to work in England again," according to Tony Jimenez of REUTERS. Mourinho said, "At this moment I can promise you that I don't have a contract with anybody. I'm in a position to be open to any club, to any national team, but to be honest if possible I'd like a club, and analyze and think what's best for my career and to be back with everything I have." Mourinho, one of the world's "most successful coaches, was sacked by Chelsea in December after the Premier League champions started the season with nine defeats" in its first 16 matches. The 53-year-old, who has also coached Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Porto, has been "strongly tipped" in media reports to take over from Louis van Gaal at ManU next season. He said, "Reports are reports and I made a decision in the beginning ... not to feed them, not to confirm, not to deny. ... I'm linked with many jobs ... in the summer I will have a job" (REUTERS, 4/9). The BBC reported Mourinho has "rejected an offer to coach Syria, according to his agent." In an email sent to the AP, Jorge Mendes said Mourinho told the Syrian FA that, "while he felt honoured to receive the invitation, he cannot at the moment accept it." Syria, who has never qualified for the World Cup, sacked coach Fajr Ibrahim "despite reaching the Asia's third and final round of qualifying, scheduled to begin in August" (BBC, 4/9).
